Claying- once or twice a year should be enough, but if you live in an area with lots of fall out or other contaminants, you may need to clay more often.
Polishing-As needed, really. Much depends on the quality of your wash jobs and how much contact the car has when parked. (Scrapes from shopping carts/people opening doors into yours etc.) It also depends on how "demanding" you are about the over all appearance of the finish. Some people need to polish out everything, some don't mind leaving some marring, as it's a fact of life.
If you don't use a strong/aggressive polish, you could polish before each wax. For example, if you were to use SSR1 you could polish monthly, or even more often, and not have much to worry about. SSR3, well, that's another story. :roll:
I tend to use a light polish before each waxing, as I usually have some marring to clean up. I wax about monthly (except during the winter) and have no concerns polishing my 12 year old paint monthly.
Waxing/sealing-You don't have to do both. You can choose one or the other. Sealants tend to last longer, though. If you are going to do both, apply the sealant first, then the wax. (Generally accepted rule for better bonding.)
How often is again dependent upon the conditions affecting your car as well as the quality of the products. You may be able to wax/seal twice a year. You may need monthly applications. (Or even more, with some products! :shock: )
If you use a QD or booster wax, the intervals between waxings should be increased. I tend to QD after each wash, so as to get rid of water trails etc.
Hope this helps!
